Automatic locking clamp



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,793

. E. G. UNGER AUTOMATIC LOCKING CLAMP Filed March 10, 1927 INVENTOR gmest ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

l..ti53,793

nnnnsr (3-. Insane, or YORK, a. Y.

AnroMATio LooKIne crane.

Application filed March 1c, 1927. Serial no. 174,404.

The invention relates in general to a twojaw clamp of general application, and herein disclosed to be of the type which comprises a pair of pivotally connected recessed jaw plates automatically locked n a plurality of closed positions. The present disclosure constitutes an improvement over the device disclosed in my copending applies.- tion on automatic locking clamps ,iiled February 12, 1925, Serial No. 8,636 and like the invention disclosed in said cop'ending {113F114 cation is particularly designed for clamping or crushing a thick paper tube into closed position incidental to practicing the art of permanent wavingot hair. k a

In the prior application the locking teature was characterized by a lever pivoted to one of the two clamping jaws and which lever is provided with ratchet teeth for engaging a "cm on the other jaw tor securing the clamp in any one of its plurality oi" closed positions. In using devices of the types disclosed, it is necessary to;e:re rta rather powerful action on the clamping aws to move the same into closed position against theresistance of the stiii paper tube and its contained coil of hair, and this resistance to closing movement of course increases rapidly as the aws are moved closer and closer together. The tendency of the clamped tube to expand reacts on the locking elements and exerts a locking cil'ect on the pin and ratchet connection. order to overcome the tendency of the crushed tube to secure the fastelling means in locked position, it 1s of course necessary to overcome the expanding force exerted by the clamped tube. This is relatively easy where there is a long leverage effect between the pivotal mounting ot the *atchetlever and the point of engagement with the pin on the other clamping jaw but becomes extremely diflicult as the pin on the other jaw is advanced into lts succeeding positions closer and closer to the pivotal mounting of the ratchet. Ditl'erently expressed, it means that when the clamp is drawn up tight, it is extremely diihcult to move it into a still tighter position. It is required in this that the paper tubes be crushed into practically air tight engage ment with the contained coil oat hair sons to minimize the possibility of steam leakage on to thehead oi": the person undertreatment. i

Accordingly the primary object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the class out-lined a locking connection between the jaws designed to lock the same in a plurality of closed positions and in which it will be no more diilicu-lt :JO release the fastoning means from onethan from any other of the positions in which the clamp is tightly engaging the clamped body.

Broadly, this objectis attained by fevers ing the pin and ratchet connection featured in the previously filed application so as to maintain the work arm of the locking lever, that is the arm connecting the jaws, a constant distance in all its operative positions securing the jaws in their closed relationf Dii'rerently expressed a single tooth on the loch controlling lever in its engagement with any one of the teeth on the other jaw is maintained spaced in fixed relation to its pivotal mounting.

While the invention has been specifically described in its application to crushing the usual paper tubes into engagement with a contained coil or hair, it is obviously within the scope of the disclosure to utilize the clamp to engage thehair coil directly and without the interposition of any form of covering. It is further possible to utilize the clamp as a shield to directly engage the hair strand adjacent the head.

Accordingly another object or the invention is to provide a scalp shield which can be readily mounted in position to prevent escape of steam from the hair on to the scalp and which can be quickly disengaged from the hair strand atthe termination of the hair treatment.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a'transverse, sectional view taken through a coil of hair wrapped on a winder contained within-a paper tube and having closed thereon a clamp constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view of the clamp shown in Fig. l in open position and removed from the hair coil.

In the. drawings and referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown a strand of hair wound spirally on a rod or curler b and contained within a crushable paper tubec,"all as is well known in the art of permanent hair waving. In the use of the clamp as shown in this figure, the innerend of the tube 0 adjacent the persons head is closed by a clamp constitutiiigtlie subjectinatter of this disclosure. here the clamp is used as a scalp shield, the jaws are closed directly on thehair strand and in this case the clamp is spaced from and independent of the rod 1) and tube 0 and is located intermediate the base of the strand oi hair and the adjacent.

. other to crush the tube 0 into engagement with the contained hair coil and beyond the partially closedrposition shown in Fig.1. lhe jaw 10 isprovided adjacent its free edge with anoutstanding finger engaging car 14. Adjacent the free end the plate forming the jaw 10 is perforated and punched to provide with a. series of ratchet teeth 15 concentrically disposed relative to the pivot pin 12.

and prefe ably formed by saw tooth corrugations struck out from the plate and bent out of theplane of the plate.

The coacting jaw member 11 is oiisetfrom the plane of the jaw 10 so that the free end 17 is movable in a plane parallel to and oil'- set from the side of the jaw 10 opposite the side from which the teeth 15 project. In this way the free end 17 of: the jaw 11 can move past the free end of the jaw 10 when moved into locked position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The jaw 11 has a bell-crank shaped pawl 18 pivoted thereto on a pivot pin 19 offset from the pin 12. The pawl 18 conforms somewhat in configurationto that of the jaw 11, extends parallel to the same and is disposed so as to lap the side of the jaw 10 from which projects the ratchet teeth 15. The forwardly projecting or work arm of the pawl is providedon its inner side with a single tooth or detentQO The tooth is designed to be fed across the line of ratchet teeth 15 and arranged so that one of the teeth will hold the detent 20 and thus secure the jaws in adju table clamped position depending upon wh ch one of the ratchet teeth are engaged by the detent. The outer edge of the pawl 18 is provided with an outstanding ear 22 positioned on the side of the pivot 19 opposite the side which is provided with the detent 20. Lugs 23 and 2% bent from the outer edge out the pawl on opposite sides of the finger engaging ear 22 overlap the adjacent outer edge of the jaw 11 and act to limit the swing of the pawl in both directions about its pivotal connection at 19.

From this connection, it will be understood that the operators lingers engaging the outer side of the ears Li and 522 can pinch the same towards each other with the thumb and linger of one hand and thus move the jaws toward their closing position as shown in Fig. 1. At the same time, such movement will swing thepawl into position to cause the detent :20 to ride over the line 01' ratchet teeth 15 into and beyond the position shown in Fig. 1 and thus successively engage each tooth. Pressure is continued as long as the strength of the operator is sulficient to overcome the resistance oliered by the crushed tube 0 or other article clamped between the jaws. i

It isnoted during this closing movement that the operator bears on the car 22 to swing the work arm indicated by the line tZ--e and that the length oi this work arm is constant 101' all positions of the tooth 20, when in engagement with any of the ratchet teeth 15. The distance between the pivotal point 19 and the engaged tooth is not increased when the jaws become closer as is the case in the showing in the previously liled application. lVhile it is, of course, true that the closer together the clamping jaws are moved, the greater is the jaw opening force of the paper tube 0 or other clamped article, this has no increase of leverage eilect holding the detent to the engaged tooth. The operator retains the releasing leverage provided by the arm (FF-(3 and the resisting force of the crushed tube is not acting through a short leverage as is true in the preceding device. a

As the closing n'iovement oi the jaws can be controlled by the two projecting linger pieces let and 9.52, it is possible to secure the clamp especially when used as a shield close "to the scalp and the operator can reach with her lingers into a mass of hai and similar clampsand simply press together the projecting finger pieces. ing the clamp, the operator can push her finger or a pencil-like tool into the space between the fingers and this will unlatch the pawl. This case of access to the locking element is vitally necessary in'a situation where access is EllillClllf.

The device disclosed features the omission of springs or other resilient devices which in the case of shields are frequently highly heated and thus loose their resiliency.

Similarly in loosen lllll llo Having thus described my invention, I

claim:

1. In a clamp, the combination of a pair of jaws pivotally connected, said clamp provided with two outstanding finger pieces and otherwise free of marginal projections, one of Said outstanding fingerpieces projecting from one of said jaws, a pawl pivoted to the other j aw and provided with an outstanding finger piece constituting the other finger piece and adapted for swinging the pawl relative to both awe, said pawl provided with a single tooth and the first named jaw rovided with a curved racl: oisoosed con-,

centrically of the pivotal connection between the jaws, any tooth of said rack adapted to be engaged by the pawl tooth for securing the jaws in one of a plurality of closed positions depending on which tooth of the rack is engaged when the two finger pieces are pinched towards each other, the outer, 0pposite sides 01 said finger pieces constituting finger engaging faces adapted when the finger pieces are pinched together to act on the pawl to swing the same into engagement with the rack and acting through the pawl to move the associated jaw into closed relation to the other jaw.

2. in a clamp, the combination of a pair of jaws pivotallyconnected, one of said jaws provided with an outstanding finger-piece, a pawl pivoted to the other jaw and provided with an outstanding finger-piece constituting the means for swinging the pawl relative to both jaws, said pawl provided with a single tooth and the first named jaw provided with a rack, any tooth of said rack adapted to be engaged by the pawl tooth for securing the jaws in one of a plurality of closed positions depending on which tooth of the rack engaged and the finger piece on the pawl having opposite sides exposed to permit the operator to engage selectivelyopposite'sides of the finger piece to move the pawl in both directions.

3. in a clamp, the combination of a pair of jaws pivotally connected, a pawl pivoted to one oi the jaws for a limited movement in a plane parallel to the plane of move ment of the jaws and provided with a detent, the other jaw provided with a series of slits in spaced relation to its edges, the portions between the slits bent out of plane of the jaw to form a rack adapted to be engaged by the d-etent for automatically securing the jaws ina plurality of closed positions.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of pivotally connected jaws, means for fastening the jaws in any one of a plurality of closed positions, said fastening means including a manually actuated element pivoted adjacent its mid length to one of the jaws to swing freely and adapted to be swung into engagement with a coacting element on the other jaw, the distance e veen the pivotal mounting of said manually actuated elementand its point of engagement with the coasting element being of the same length for all of its operative jawfastening positions, and said manually actuated member provided with a finger piece projecting from the outer edge thereof, adjacent its pivotal connection with its associated jaw and intermediate its opposite ends.

5. A clamp comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaws, a pawl pivoted to one of thejaws for movement in a plane parallel to the plane of the jaws and provided with a finger engaging part projecting beyond the edge of the associated jaw for moving the pawl in both directions relative to both jaws, the other j aw provided with a series of teeth formed integral therewith, offset from the plane of said jaw and adapted to be engaged by the pawl to secure the jaws in a plurality of closed positions 6. A clamp comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaws. a freely swinging pawl pivoted to one of the jaws and provided with a finger engaging partconstituting the means for moving the pawl relative to both jaws to and from an engaging position, the other jaw provided with a series of teeth adapted to be engaged by the pawl to secure the jaws in a plurality of closed positions and said pawl provided with fixed stops for limiting its swinging movement in both directions into and out of engagement with the teeth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York this 28th day of February, A. D. 1927.

ERNEST G. UNGER. 

